When I was in fifth grade, I had more experience with death than any other ten-year-old would hope to have. In less than a month, three of my great grandmothers passed away. The number of tears I saw shed was overwhelming and utterly depressing. Sadness was abundant because of the lost family members. This is what puzzles me about “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Esteban had never met anyone from that tiny village, not anyone in the surrounding communities. So why was everyone overtaken by his death?
For the women, the title of the story helps somewhat explain their sorrow. The beauty of Esteban was such that the women fantasized about him and created their sorrow from their day dreams. However, how could their attraction be so strong that they all took more time with Esteban’s funeral than they would with their own fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons? Was his beauty intense enough to cause such love so quickly and easily? Maybe some maternal instinct kicked in, and all of the women were overwhelmed by how much this dead boy needed them. I doubt that’s likely. Honestly, I can’t see anyone being charismatic enough to encourage as much attention as Esteban did.
Now the men are an entirely different story. They were not going to be attracted to Esteban. Granted, his size and apparent strength may have made them think about how much work he could do in a day. They may have also taken his looks to indicate his character. However, these reasons do not supply the amount of sadness the men supplied at the funeral. At first, the men did not even care what happened to the unfortunate soul that had washed ashore. Not until they say his face did it matter one way or another if Esteban was given a proper funeral. So what was it about the young man’s face that changed the men’s mind?
The children of the village seemed unfazed by the man. They played with his body like it was any other toy. They saw his face. Why were the young ones not affected as their elders were? The men and women of the village may say it is because of their ignorance. Maybe the children do not quite understand that the man is dead. But one thing is evident. They were nearly as affected as their parents and grandparents.
